


Hardly Friends But They Were Roommates

by unique_and_just_like_the_others



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2020-05-19 06:01:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19350949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unique_and_just_like_the_others/pseuds/unique_and_just_like_the_others
Summary: The first fake date





	1. Lightbulbs and Accidental Coming Outs

Roman and Virgil were roommates. As in, Roman needed a roommate after his brother Logan moved in with his boyfriend. As in, Virgil needed a place to stay after Patton, his best friend,’s boyfriend moved in. As in, the cutest couple alive, Logan and Patton, suggested Virgil move in with Roman. As in, roommates who had barely had 3 conversations in twice as many weeks.

Sure, every morning they exchanged polite “good mornings”, but nothing of real substance. They each only knew three things about each other.

 

  1. They both loved rain
  2. Neither ate healthily
  3. Both were night owls



 

That was until Logan and Patton announced their engagement. 

 

“Ugh, I can’t believe I have to go to the wedding without a date, how embarrassing.” Roman flopped down onto the couch, next to Virgil. Virgil was startled by this but shrugged it off quickly.

“You won’t be the only one, I’m not exactly bringing home guys every night.” Virgil was snarky, and in his snark, came out to his roommate.

“I don’t understand why no prince has fallen for me yet, I’m gorgeous.” Roman hadn’t even noticed, active in the theatre, to say he was acquainted with a couple of gays was an understatement.

 

  1. They were both gay. 



 

Then Virgil came up with an idea.


	2. Ticket Stubs and Hinting

“It’s just so annoying, I mean, I’d have to meet a guy in the next week to be able to have a date. Who am I gonna meet by then? And I can’t just not have a date, because then I’m so single and it’s embarrassing.” Roman whined.

“Yeah…” Virgil was hesitant to share his idea.

“I mean, I could take anyone, but like, a wedding is a serious date, you know? You can’t take a guy to your brother’s wedding on the first date.”

“Yeah, especially when you’re the man of honour, so you’re gonna be super busy, and they have to meet all your childhood friends and it’s just a little too fast.  So then they get to hear all the embarrassing stories before you get to convince them you’re not a total freak. It’d be so much better to take someone you already know.” Virgil settled for hinting at it, make Roman think it’s his idea. Better than it being his own idea.

“Yeah, I mean, I’m amazing, but I totally get where you’re coming from. Dating is hard, I wish I could have a relationship without all the hard parts. You know, just being cute and stuff. Oh, a boy can dream…” Roman stared wistfully at the ceiling.

“You mean like a fake relationship, just for show, I guess that wouldn’t be terrible.” Virgil pretended to muse, Roman may be an actor, but Virgil wasn’t too bad himself. 

“Yeah, exactly!” You could practically see Roman’s neurons firing and the idea occurring to him. “Wait, what if we did that? We could go to the wedding together so we don’t look all single and lonely.”

“I mean, we could, but we’d have to start like tomorrow, and we’d have to stage a break-up afterwards.” Virgil had started to see the downside, as always.

“Oh c’mon, lighten up, this could be fun, and Patton’ll be thrilled. Oh, this’ll be such fun, like a constant play. Too bad it’s not a musical, I’d love to show off my gorgeous voice.”

“If it were a musical, I’d have to sing. I don’t sing,” he grunted.

“Could’ve sworn I heard Meant to Be Yours coming from the shower last night…”

“I swear to the gods, I will kill you,” Virgil growled.

“Oh, but you have a lovely voice, J.Delightful.” Roman jested.

“Shut up before I make you.”

“You don’t scare me, Count Virgil.”

“Wait until you see my fangs.”

* * *

 

The next day Roman was dancing and washing the dishes, Gaga blasting from his headphones. He almost dropped the glass he was cleaning when he saw Virgil lounging on the counter waiting for him.

“What are you doing here?!”

“I thought I’d take you to a play. There’s a showing of Bridges of Madison County at the local theatre. If you want, we could skip it and just get the ticket stubs, though…” Virgil shrugged.

“Are you kidding??? I love that musical! You don’t have to, but I’m going.” Roman huffed.

“Ugh, I guess I’ll go, we should probably have evidence of it anyway. So, do you want to tell Patton and Logan or should I?”

“What if we went on a double date? We could take them out to eat, after the musical! Tell them it’s to celebrate their engagement then announce that we’re dating instead!” Roman enthused, and Virgil could almost see the image. For once, he was actually hopeful about a social engagement.


	3. Twix, Bread sticks, and Reveals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first fake date

_ Before there was Pagon, before Roman met Virgil, Roman pined after Abraham. Roman was normally bold telling guys he was attracted to them, but Abraham was different. Roman was in love with him. _

_ Roman hadn’t ever been in love before. And in all the relationships he’d have in the next 5 years he wouldn’t let himself fall again. _

* * *

 

 

The musical was surprisingly lovely. Virgil didn’t grumble at all for the entire date, Roman held doors for him. Virgil bought Roman a Twix during intermission. Roman and Virgil whispered through the show, joking and laughing quietly.  Afterwards, they were bubbling with excitement, babbling about their favourite parts and “wasn’t the lead actress so good” and “the guy was so hot”. 

When they arrived at Olive Garden, they didn’t even have to pretend to like each other. By the time Logan and Patton walked in, the two were already laughing over breadsticks. “There’s never a wrong time to dress in drag and do the hula,” the two were laughing in unison. Logan and Patton were sitting down at the table before the two realised they’d arrived.

“Oh, hey guys, Roman and I were just talking about the Lion King. Sucked how they took the drag part out of the live-action. How’s the engagement going?” Virgil asked, definitely cheerier than usual.

“It’s great! We’ve been preplanning the wedding and we’ve found this great venue!” Patton was clearly excited.

“Preplanning?” Roman’s eyebrows arched.

“My idea, we need to find the things we like, but give enough time to change our minds,” Logan’s idea? No surprise there.

“You want to spend more time planning? My brother, everybody,” Roman joked, eliciting a snicker from Virgil.

“What’s up with you guys?” Patton, the small talk master.

“Welllll,” Roman drew the word out for dramatic effect, “we’ve kinda started seeing each other. We actually just came from a date.”

Patton squealed with delight. His two best friends were dating! Logan nodded, a little suspicious of their “relationship”. Obviously they were attracted to one another, that was obvious just based on the dilation of their pupils, but they hadn’t seemed to be aware of that fact the last time he’d seen them.

 There’s the possibility that they’d realised and confessed, but he’d found on average it took his brother 3 weeks, not counting Abraham, he was an outlier, after realisation to enter a relationship. Not to mention Virgil’s fear of rejection that would have kept him from confessing unless Roman explicitly stated that he was attracted to Virgil.

Despite Logan’s speculation, the four had a wonderful time on their double-date and scheduled another for the next week. The circus was coming to town.


	4. Lights, Silks, and Snocones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The 4 go to the circus

Virgil and Logan gazed at their dates adoringly as they zipped around. Patton ran every time he saw something that looked sweet and Roman went to anything shiny. They both loved the snow cone place. Flashing cups and sugary ice combined to make the perfect circus snack. The joy on their faces as the syrupy crystals melted in their mouths made the $20 Virgil spent worth it.

The performance was even better. Patton cracking up to every joke the clowns told, adding them to his repertoire. Logan appreciated the physics involved in the tricks, Roman appreciated the skill and practice required to do them. Virgil, though, he was in awe. The lights, the silks, the motion, all of it mesmerised him. He hadn’t been to the circus as a child, but now he understood the appeal. Everything was full of wonder and delight. 

* * *

 

Roman turned to offer his date some purple cotton candy, knowing it was his favourite colour but stopped when he saw Virgil’s face. His eyes were sparkling in the lights, his cheeks flushed, his lips pulled into the first grin Roman had ever seen on the emo’s face. He’d never been more beautiful. Virgil turned to him, and Roman imagined himself kissing his date under the neon lights. 

The grinning boy raised an eyebrow, nonverbally asking why Roman’s attention was directed toward him. He held out the cotton candy, unable to think, much less speak, coherently. Virgil took some, his grin momentarily directed toward his prince. Roman’s heart skipped a beat.

Then the moment was over. Virgil’s eyes flicked back on the woman doing a handstand on a horse. Roman still enjoyed the performance, but couldn’t help but glance at the purple-haired boy next to him. What had happened to him? One moment Virgil was nothing but a friendly acquaintance, the next, Roman couldn’t help but imagine what they could be.


End file.
